1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to carbapenem compounds. In particular it relates to antibiotics PA-41746-A.sub.2, PA-41746-E and the salts thereof having .beta.-lactamase inhibitory activity, and a process for producing PA-41746-A.sub.2, PA-41746-E and/or PA-41746-F by fermentation of Streptomyces pluracidomyceticus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Several carbapenem-type antibiotics produced by Streptomyces and their derivatives have been disclosed. The closely related compounds, each of which has a distinct substituent at the 3-position in the formula (I): ##STR1## are exemplified below:
MM4550 ##STR2## MM13902 (R=--SCH.dbd.CHNHCOCH.sub.3) and MM17880 (R=--S--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NHCOCH.sub.3) [J. D. Hood et al., The Journal of Antibiotics 32, 295 (1979)], and the oxidized MM17880 ##STR3## (Jap. Unexam. Pat. Pub. No. 53-5195);
pluracidomycin A (R=--SO.sub.3 H), pluracidomycin B ##STR4## and pluracidomycin C ##STR5## [Naoki Tsuji: The Journal of Antibiotics 35, 536 (1982)], etc.
PA-41746-F in this invention was confirmed to have the same planar structure as the oxidized MM17880 mentioned above has.